1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner having a mechanism for releasably retaining a handle portion thereon in various positions relative to a vertical, upright position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum cleaners are often provided with a handle pivotally mounted to a wheeled foot having a nozzle portion thereon. The handle allows a user to push the foot across a floor surface for cleaning whereby debris collected by the nozzle is collected in a filter bag carried on the vacuum cleaner. A pedal is typically provided on the foot which engages a series of protrusions on the handle for releasably engaging the handle in a series of angular positions relative to a vertical upright position. For example, the pedal is typically adapted to retain the handle portion in an upright position for storage, an angular position for normal use and a generally horizontal position for pushing the foot underneath an object, such as a piece of furniture. Examples of these types of retaining mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,423,534 (Lyman et al.) issued Jan. 3, 1984, 3,683,449 (Nordeen) issued Aug. 15, 1972, 3,932,912 (Johnson) issued Jan. 20, 1976, and 3,199,138 (Nordeen) issued Aug. 10, 1965.